Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an insulating element for electrically insulating a first contact region of an electronic component, in particular a power semiconductor element or the like, from at least one second contact region of the component and/or from a contact which makes contact with the second contact region during operation. The insulating element has at least one first section that is configured to be accommodated essentially in a contact recess of the contact during operation. The fist section has an outer contour that approximately corresponds, at least in regions, to an inner contour of the contact recess of the contact in such a way that, during operation, the first section can be accommodated in the contact recess of the contact with at most a low degree of play.
In the construction and mounting of circuit configurations having a multiplicity of electronic components, what is generally of crucial importance is complying with the positioning of the electronic components with respect to one another and correctly and reliably contact-connecting electronic components to one another and to the outside world.
With regard to the problems that currently occur in power semiconductor electronics in the context of alternating thermal loads, the so-called pressure contact technique has been developed, in which the power semiconductor components or the like are retained on a substrate, accommodating the electronic components, by spring-prestressed pressure contacts or the like. In this case, the production and maintenance of a mechanical and hence electrical contact between a contact region of an electronic component and a contact carrying the current are also effected essentially by the mechanically applied forces. This has the advantage that, by a corresponding setting of the mechanical forces—for example by tensioning devices or by spring devices—it is possible to take account sufficiently of the alternating thermal loads owing to the mechanical tolerances associated with the mechanical fixing.
However, the releasable contact connection of the electronic components by chemical pressure forces entails a certain tolerance with regard to the positionability of the electronic components on the substrate that carries the circuit. In order that, in particular, electronic components of multipart construction—for example containing the actual electronic component, the contacts and insulating elements—can be positioned sufficiently accurately, so-called positioning aids or centering aids have been used heretofore in the construction of the circuit configuration. However, the use of centering aids of this type results in an additional outlay in respect to manufacturing and hence an increase in costs.